Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship

Purim

"Purim" means "lots"

This year, 5767, the Feast of Esther falls on March 4, 2007

Purim falls on March 4, 2006. In the walled cities of Israel - such as Jerusalem and Safed - Purim is celebrated on the 15 of Adar, which this year falls on March 5, 2007.

Esther 1:1-2      Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, NASU

Reference Verse 1

Ezra 4:6    Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. NASU

Dan 9:1     In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans NASU

Reference Verse 2

Neh 1:1-3  Now it happened in the month Chislev,in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire." NASU

Dan 8:2     I looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. NASU

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 2:17-18            The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.  NASU

Mordecai Saves the King

Est 2:21-23        In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. 23 Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence. NASU

Haman's Plot against the Jews

Esther 3:1-8      7 In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month,  until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain. NASU

Mordecai Learned Of The Plot And Mourned.  Israel Mourned

Esther 4:1-3                When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2 He went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. NASU

Esther Learns of Haman's Plot

Esther 4:4                   Then Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. NASU

Esther Plans to Intercede and requests the help of G-d

Esther 4:15-17            Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him. NASU

Esther went to the King Unannounced and he accepted her

Esther 5:2-3                   When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter. 3 Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you."   NASU

To learn about the plan of Esther by reading the book of Esther.

Why We Celebrate Purim

Esther 9:1                   Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. NASU

Esther 9:17        This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.  NASU

Esther 9:22        [Mordecai instructed them] because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. NASU

Esther 9:23-32  23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32 The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book. NASU

A Short Description of Purim

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.  This feast is a tradition of remembering what HaShem did for the Jews in a time of great trouble.

In the time between the destruction of the First Temple and the building of the Second Temple, the Jews came very close to being annihilated because of the evil scheming of Haman.

The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther and her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai raised Esther as if she were his daughter. Esther was summoned to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia. She was to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other wives and made Esther queen. Ahasuerus did not know that Esther was a Jew.   Mordecai told her not to reveal her Jewish ancestry.

The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, prideful man. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to him. In revenge Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain.  "If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king's business, to put into the king's treasuries." [Esther 3:8-9 NASU] Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.

Mordecai  heard about the plot against the Jews,  and in sackcloth and ashes stood at the gate of the Kings gate and wailed loudly and bitterly.  Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther gave instruction to Mordecai to have all of the Jews fast and pray for three days. Esther and her handmaidens fasted for three days to cover her with the safety only found in G-d. Esther went in to see the king unannounced. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of HaShem. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to HaShem. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning HaShem. The message is that HaShem is working all the time to protect those who are His.

Exodus 14:13-14                 But Moses said to the people, " Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the L-RD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14 " The L-RD will fight for you while you keep silent."  NASU

Isaiah 41:13                      For I, the L-RD your G-d, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'  NKJV

Psalms 73:28                    But it is good for me to draw near to G-d;  I have put my trust in the Lord  GOD, That I may declare all Your works.  NKJV

Psalms 121               I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?  My help comes from the L-RD, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The L-RD is your keeper; The L-RD is your shade on your right hand.  The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.  The L-RD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.  The L-RD will guard your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and forever. NASU

The Celebration Of Purim

Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.

In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The 14th day of the first Adar in a leap year is celebrated as a minor holiday called Purim Katan, which means "little Purim." There are no specific observances for Purim Katan; however, a person should celebrate the holiday and should not mourn or fast. Some communities also observe a "Purim Katan" on the anniversary of any day when their community was saved from a catastrophe, destruction, evil or oppression.

The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.

The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.

The primary Jewish requirement related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll, the story, the telling.  It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the Purim service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman".

Traditions Of Man

According to the Talmud the Jews are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai."  A person should not become drunk so as to not violate other Commandments.

I do not feel that this is what HaShem would want us to become drunk.  I do think He would want us to rejoice in remembering His supply in a time of need.

On Purim we are to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Ashkenazic Jews, make a treat called humentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat.

It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests.

As Purim is not one of the commanded feasts in Torah, it is not under Shabbat requirements.

He is worthy of all honor glory and praise

Study Compiled by:

Ric Worshill

SBMF Member Purim Celebrations 

Hampton, Virginia